Domestic appliances, such as refrigerator appliances, generally include a cabinet that defines an internal chamber. In the case of refrigerator appliances, a chilled chamber may be defined for receipt of food articles for storage. Refrigerator appliances can also include various storage components mounted within the chilled chamber and designed to facilitate storage of food items therein. Such storage components can include racks, bins, shelves, or drawers that receive food items and assist with organizing and arranging of such food items within the chilled chamber.
Although the relatively low temperatures within the chilled chamber of a refrigerator appliance serve to preserve food within the appliance, some refrigerator appliances include one or more features to assist with food preservation. For instance, certain existing appliances include an ozone generator for producing gaseous ozone (i.e., O3) within the chilled chamber. The produced gaseous ozone may effectively eliminate or reduce bacteria and fungi within the chilled chamber, thereby preserving food items and reducing undesired odors. This can be especially useful in the context of storing fruits and vegetables.
Existing systems present several disadvantages and limitations. While gaseous ozone can be useful for preserving certain food items, it can lead to certain health risks if inhaled in large amounts. For instance, large concentrations ozone [e.g., ozone in concentrations above 50 parts per billion (ppb)] may cause respiratory irritation. However, such concentrations may be more effective at preserving food items. Ozone generated within a refrigerator may eventually break down as oxygen (i.e., O2), but the process can be relatively slow. A user rapidly or repeatedly opening a door to access the chilled chamber may risk exposure to unhealthful concentrations or amounts of ozone. Although some systems attempt to limit the location of ozone within a chilled chamber, such systems have not provided adequate performance or safety.
In turn, further improvements are necessary to refrigerator appliances to utilize ozone within a chilled chamber. In particular, a refrigerator appliance having one or more features for generating ozone within the appliance while preventing undesirable exposure for users would be useful.